Meta‐Analysis: A Valuable Tool in Conservation Research

Abstract:

Meta‐analysis is the application of quantitative methods to the problem of comparing and combining results from separate but similar analytic studies. Despite its popularity in the social sciences and epidemiology, meta‐analysis has remained virtually unknown in the conservation and ecology literature. Meta‐analytic techniques allow comparison and summary of effect sizes across studies, and they also allow better control of type II errors. In many areas of research in conservation, the existence of a nonzero effect has been demonstrated to a degree that further research to measure the magnitude or the generality of that effect seems not only justified, but also necessary. For illustrative purposes, we have meta‐analyzed five studies that report data on the effects of selective logging on density of birds. The combination of the effect sizes across studies reveals a negative effect of selective logging that was not apparent from the analysis of individual results. We argue that most of the limitations of the technique are also common to the traditional narrative literature review. Thus, the incompleteness of the literature review, the heterogeneity of the measured effects, and/or the effect that unpublished null results may have on the conclusions should not be deciding factors regarding the convenience of performing a meta‐analysis. Meta‐analysis can provide a quantitative summary of the available data that will be stronger evidence for politicians and decision makers than a mere qualitative description of the problem. Copyright © 1994, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved

Año de publicación:

1994

Keywords:

Fuente:

scopus